Belflower Named KCAC Player of the Week

Following her near-perfect week at the plate which helped lead her squad to four more wins, Avila senior utility player Brooke Belflower was named the KCAC Softball Player of the Week for the week of March 18-24, the conference announced this week. Belflower becomes the third Eagle to win a weekly award from the league so far this season.

Belflower had about as excellent of a week as a player at any level of college softball could possibly have. In four games over two KCAC doubleheaders last week, Belflower batted a stellar 10-for-11 (.909 average) with seven of her 10 hits going for extra bases (1.909 slugging). She drove in nine runs, and scored seven of the 37 runs the Eagles scored over the four games. She also walked three times against zero strikeouts (.938 on-base percentage) and chipped in three stolen bases, while player error-free defense, almost exclusively at first base (25 chances).

Belflower's line included two perfect 4-for-4 performances, one in each doubleheader. In game one against Saint Mary, three of her four hits went for extra bases, and in game one against Tabor, all four of them did – and each one of her four hits drove in at least one run. The only game where she didn't record a hit was in game two against USM, where she still walked twice and scored twice despite technically going 0-for-1.

In total, she reached base in 15 of her 16 plate appearances, helping the Eagles, which had just entered the receiving votes tier of the national rankings earlier on Wednesday, to four more victories. Avila softball is now 12-0 to start off conference play following a pair of victories over Southwestern earlier this week, and the Eagles have already surpassed the 20-win mark in 2024.

The senior from Tunnel Hill, Georgia is now the third Eagle to earn weekly honors from the KCAC this season, following McKayla Cotton (pitcher) and Stephanie Hayes (designated player), who was also named NAIA Hitter of the Week for her efforts earlier in March. Belflower was a legitimate candidate for national hitter of the week as well, but lost out to a player who hit more home runs.

Belflower and the rest of the (RV) Eagles will be back in action at home at The Z this Saturday, March 30, when Avila welcomes Sterling to Kansas City for a pair of games. The doubleheader starts up at noon; as always, you can watch all the action live and for free on the Avila Sports Network.